NCJ Number
83495
Date Published
1980
Length
76 pages
Annotation
Major political events and sociological trends in Boston during the post-World War II period are described, and concomitant effects on the development of the criminal justice system are discussed.
Abstract
Boston is dominated by conflict and adversarial relations. The historical precedent for this is found in early conflicts between the Protestant Yankees and Irish Catholic immigrants, which resulted in the city being bereft of legitimate authority over its own institutions. In the post-World War II period, Boston mayors have done little to regain control over local institutions. They appear to have thrived on their lack of control and have been content to leave governance of the city to the State and the courts. The Boston Police Department was returned to local control only after corruption in the department received national attention. The structure of the court system is established by the State legislature and has remained remarkably stable throughout the period. The police department is the one area of the criminal justice system where there has been some attempt at professionalization, but even there politics has prevailed. Robert DiGrazia appointed as Police Commissioner in 1972 by Mayor White, was reform-minded, but DiGrazia's reform efforts were constantly fought by the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association (BPPA). While DiGrazia prevailed over the BPPA in most instances, he did not prevail over the mayor. White refused to appoint DiGrazia to a second 5-year term. The recurrent pattern of conflict that has been highly visible in Boston since the mid-19th century has rendered the city incapable of governing itself. A total of 53 references are provided.